, 1887-01-14
THE PESTS OF GREAT STORES.
Respectable Looking Women Who Steal
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
Women ~pickpockets generally rob
women, the male pickpockets combining
their operations to working crowded cars
and %wringing watches on crowded streets.
The watch wringers are very skillful.
They can feel n mans watch through the
heaviest clothing, and by an almost i'm
p%erceptible movement can draw it from
the pocket, wiring it from the chain, place
the chain back in the pocket and disap-
pear in the crowd before the victim dis
covers his loss. These fellows generally
work in pairs; one of them, called the
''stall. - distracts the attention of the vic
tim, either by jostling him OF getting into
an alteration with him, while his part
ner, who is knowna as the tool, " deity
remove the watch. There is also another
class of male thieves known as the ''caba
worker" This kind of gentry generally
work alone and do" stores and railroad
stations, Their modus operandi is to
snatch a caba while the owner Is not
looking and leave a dummy in its place.
The stolen caba is relieved Of its con-
tents, taken to another store or station,
where, if an opportunity occurs, it re
places another caba, which the owner
may nave carelessly left lying IN a
ter while purchasing goods in some other
department of the store. Sometimes a
good caba worker will get several hun
dred dollars in n day, as nearly all women
shoppers carry their purses in their cabas,
and no woman thinks OF going shopping
without a plethoric purse, except the
shopper who never does anything but
look, and the experienced a b worker
knovya her nt "a planca and gives her "A
wide berth.
The female pickpockets are the most
successful workers III crowded stores.
They are eneraliy III PAIRS ana are known
as the stall ana her WIRE. Inc
stall Is generally II respectable LOOKING
well dressed woman VINO Is always ma
hurry n anxious TO examine goods att
counter crowded with customers DIG
talks TO her wire n p~atrohizihg way,
Inc WIRE calls her miss OF madaih' al
OF wnch hhpre7ses the crown WIN lhe
'staus IMPORTANCE ana III IA husthhg,
Dustlng sort Oh way she FORCES hersen
through the crowd losses the eooous
around the counter altiactS inc at'enlioh
OF the customers and ABSTRACTS the a,ten,
uon OF the saiespeople' WINE the '"ie
gets her WORK III on the Pocke's OF carries
AVA a stray cana ihere are propaoiy
more pocketDooks picked OH Oh counters
than are taken from pockets or capas'
II detectives IN Inc iarge es'aphshlneh's
are always on tiie lookout Tor me Shawl
racket inns Is geherahy Worhcu ny
women VINO ures5 piaiiiy anu nave 'he
appearance oil hard working ana hohest
housewives. lhcy geherais WORK arouh'
inc ~haiiakerchlel counter WHERE 'heS
can easily TOSS me goods ihey WIN
waici unth they see some customer iy
her Iotketpook on inc counter WIFI
they VIII approach deitlN cover the GOV
e,eu spoii WIN Whatever Is henies' az
ianu' anu WINE "skiilt 'he I,l'e 'i soi''
article Whicli theN VIII sI'fe'u ou' "i ,ic
counter WIN one mana theN Will unuer
cover OF the SHAWL WINCH Is shihuny
thrown over 'he p'ie '"iiceainis the puIs,'
hpe.ract ,he piuiuer rom IT'S snug nt'ie
iles, ana transfer " so''ie convenient
pocket,
IN 'ne course Oh conversation WIN 1ne
"e"u II tne ue.ec'i'e u'P"i.nei' u"y
goods esIaplsl,neh'' ne sa'ui inere rs
very niue PoNA'' lmoA",s " III III.
iafse STORES now NearlN I'll ne expert
professionals are ueau :" pun way
ihose sun plying 'he 'tanr are 30 wen
KNOWN ''a' ,hcy are "i'""' 10 oPei"'e III
es'aoiisnine'i7 Mn'ie 'NPYiie e
.s'l'N'S are oon'ilua"t on '"' Ma'on
mem you WANT u" = "'n eAP'i'
s'ai'llS "nu ~nnis uone' Jus. ""'n
une .io"uS 1t" .ne P"N,iN"',
VI u" h"o" "n"u""s' q" ~
."eNes sa'"'i '"'' na, - .InuIn.
" Souhs women "" M
oiu beItleiith So hl'o iiapooues o',i